There are many things constantly reminding me that I’m training for a marathon (as if I could forget). There is the omnipresent training plan which I keep on the shelf beside my bed, this blog of accountability, and the harsh reality that I’ve spent a lot more hours running than socializing this summer.  Also, I took my daughter to the mall this morning without showering after a 5 mile run, in running clothes.
So? What’s the big deal? Plenty of people cruise around in athletic wear all of the time. There are tons of fashion forward options these days for us gals so we needn’t feel like we’re sacrificing style for functionality. But that’s not the way I normally operate. I’m more of a run/workout, shower, put on some street clothes and a little makeup kind of girl. I prefer the way I look, and smell, following this course of action.
I’m not a particularly large person, but I sweat like someone twice my size and it isn’t pretty or pleasantly fragrant. My husband sometimes sticks those RIPE stickers found on avocados, to my pile of soiled garments before they make it to the washing machine. So why on earth would I subject my daughter, or the other mall patrons, to such nastiness?
I had a smallish window of time this morning to squeeze in my run, pile the kids in to the car, pick up my son’s friend from the other side of town and drop them at their destination which was in close proximity to the mall. School starts next week and my daughter needed new shoes so it made sense to go then, smelly and all. If I weren’t in training I probably would have skipped or shortened the workout so I could spend the excursion comfortable in my own skin. But as I’ve said before, marathon training is full of sacrifices and I’m pretty sure the butt mark I left on the bench at the VANS store will wipe off.
Once again, I’ve probably divulged too much personal information. If we see each other out and about around town and I’m wearing workout clothes, I’ll completely understand if you run the other way.